Sunday, September 19, 2010

Five things I didn’t like as Carolina dropped to 0-2 with a nasty performance in its 20-7 home loss to Tampa Bay Sunday (my column about the game and the Panthers playing like they were trying to pass off a fake ID is here):

1. Matt Moore’s second straight bad game. I think you have to start Jimmy Clausen now vs. Cincinnati next week, even though he didn’t do a lot Sunday. Moore has made six turnovers in his first two starts of 2010 (four interceptions, two fumbles lost). He looks nothing like the guy who won – with little pressure on him – consistently last December.

2. Panthers’ pass rush. Carolina didn’t get a single sack, which makes a grand total of one after two games. Josh Freeman had his way with the Carolina defense, shrugging off tackles several times and looking like the best quarterback on the field all afternoon.

3. Fourth-and-goal. I saw nothing wrong with giving the ball to Jonathan Stewart on fourth-and-goal from the Tampa Bay 1 on a must-have play with 3:35 to go. There was a lot wrong with the result – Stewart stopped for a one-yard loss.

4. The No.2 receiver. Again, Carolina had more problems with the “Who can catch the ball besides Steve Smith?” question. Dwayne Jarrett was a non-factor as usual – rookie David Gettis played a lot more after Brandon LaFell was inactive due to injury but caught only two of the five balls thrown at him, for 18 yards. (He also got open on a deep ball Moore badly overthrew). And tight end Dante Rosario had a possible touchdown pass slip off his fingers from Moore.

5. The offensive line. It allowed four sacks for the second straight week and couldn’t extract a big rushing game from the Tampa Bay game for the first time in the past four. Carolina had averaged 241 yards rushing against the Bucs in its past three games. It averaged less than half that (119) Sunday.

Steve Smith is OK -- took a big hit on his arm and was worried about it, but X-rays showed no break after the game. Should play next Sunday with no problem, according to him. Matt Moore took a shot on his thumb during the game but said he was "fine" and also said he expected to start against Cincinnati. We'll see about that one -- John Fox was not ready to announce a starter after the game.

We all knew that this would be a rebuilding year and that's just what it's shaping up to be. Matt Moore looked out of it today. I wonder if he is truly over the concussion? Alot of you got excited when the defensive pass rush looked decent in the preseason. How do those no-name psss rushers look now without Peppers? And Jordan Gross is a revolving door.

Scott, you show your ignorance. Moore didn't have a bad game - the offense and the Coordinator had a bad game. Moore only got to throw in situations where the defense was primed to stop the pass. The play where the QB rolls right and the only targets are one WR and a TE needs to be torn out of the playbook, because it hasn't worked even once this season. Calling for Clausen is ridiculous. Did he do any better when he was in the game? No. The 'badly overthrown' pass to Gettis was actually caused by Gettis quitting on the route.

The solution to this mess is to wait until the end of the season and toss out this whole crappy coaching staff.

WHERE oh WHERE are all the experts, the guys telling everyone else in the comments section during preseason, we knew nothing about football?? WHERE oh WHERE are all the experts telling us how preseason did not mean ANYTHING and once everyone was back, the Panthers would roll? WHERE oh WHERE are the experts telling us the defense would kill this year and win games even with a less than offense? And finally, where are the experys suggesting Matt Moore could do the job?? Panther fans, plain and simple - you are all fools, Richardson's fools ... too bad Charlotte got that excuse for an owner. Winning isn't everything ... MONEY IS!

Charlotte is still a very immature sports city. Lots of opinions, but few ideas of how the game is really supposed to be played. Unfortunately, most of the experienced NFL fans in Charlotte have clung to the teams they followed before moving here.

I grew up a Dolphin fan for the first 30-odd years of my life but I root now for the Panthers in every game except if they play the Dolphins (some habits die hard), but this year I will also root for Cleveland if Delhomme is starting... just because I think he deserved better than he got from local "fans"!

Why anybody in the Charlotte area would spend a dime of their money on this mess of a team is beyond me. The life has been sucked out of this team, this stadium and this town. The Panthers are the most boring team in the NFL to watch and John Fox is the most boring head coach in the league. I wish all fans would boycott the stadium, the merchandise and the entire organization until changes are made.

John Clayton ranked the last two quarterbacks to start for the Panthers 32nd and 33rd in the league. It would sure have been nice to have gotten a former 3 time pro bowler named Michael Vick dirt cheap when he wanted to come here. He has looked great the last two weeks.

So funny the stupid homers like John who on the one hand think anyone who questions anything about the team aren't real fans, then on the other hand justify everything by saying "well it is a business". Well so is buying tix to see crap John (probably Fox).

Truth is that our cheap@ssed owner and dumb@ssed coaches are inept. And as A FAN, I want us to improve, not simply stand by and clap like a half wit like John, Bernz and othe idiot homers. You guys are total crap as fans.

So John...I hear you calling out Charlotte as not being as "mature" as some other sports cities...that we don't understand "how the game is played". Soooo...you tell us smart guy. What is it about our complaints of the team that any other city wouldn't also have? Do you suppose all of those other sophisticated fans in cities like Oakland are saying "well, it is okay because we've had sports for a long time we are mature so the losing doesn't matter because we understand the game"? Because if you believe that any other city, any other fan base, in any sport would sit and be satisfied with the poor plays/decision making we've seen over the past two seasons - well sir, perhaps you need to rethink who really knows about how the game should be played.

WHEN will people EVER learn. Empty seats mean NOTHING to Jerry Richardson - they are PAID for already! No doubt, one day, 20 years from now, someone will do a study showing what a shrewd business move the whole PSL proved being for Richardson. PSL's did two things and TWO things only. They made Jerry Richardson wealthy beyond even his imagination - and ENSURED, GUARANTEED forever, the Panthers to be mediocre at best. Disagree? Really? Then explain why on earth Jerry would spend a penny extra for talent, quality coaches, etc. - when PSL owners paid price increases this year for this B.S. Until Jerry Richardson feels it in his wallet - nothing will change. NOTHING. And whether 15,000 or 50,000 stay home - the seats for every home game are already paid for and the money in the bank. 80 million total payroll - all seats to every game paid for. You do the math. It is not the maturity of Charlotte sports fan ... we grew up with the ACC -- we know championships. Unfortunately it is a growing history of sorry, GREEDY, worthless owners ... who care about only one thing. MONEY.

Based on how the offense played during the preseason, I had a feeling the games would be hard to watch. I feel badly for Moore. He seems to be a class act but reality is, the coaching staff is under pressure this year and truthfully their patience is a bit thin because of this. As far as folks thinking we should have not gotten rid of Jake, I disagree. I think it was time for that show to move on. Not only for the team, but for Jake as well. Clausen is not going to be the savior this year, I could be wrong, but unless the offensive line can give him more time in the pocket,he'll struggle too. I wonder how quickly the fans will turn on Clausen and start screaming for Pike? Still a fan, just realizing it's going to be a long season!!!!

John said...Charlotte is still a very immature sports city. Lots of opinions, but few ideas of how the game is really supposed to be played. Unfortunately, most of the experienced NFL fans in Charlotte have clung to the teams they followed before moving here.

Scott, there had to be more than 5 things you didn't like; however, your comments on DJ are vague. How can you be a factor when they don't throw to you. I don't see why everyone is so down on DJ? He catches everything thrown at him. The problem is they don't throw at him. Your five things you didn't like should have included: 1) Fox 2) Davidson 3) No blitzes 4) No DLine pressure 5) Stupid short yardage play calls ...you don't go bunch up the entire line of scrimmage and allow the defense to put all 11 players in the box on 4th and goal from the 1 ... stupid

Enough already - reality is, who cares anymore? The Panthers have zero relevance in any discussion of quality NFL organizations. Richardson played the fans perfectly - have a couple of good years - suck them in, hook 'em, and bleed them dry. Angry PSL owners and fans still paying to go to games have no one to blame but themselves. Radio, television talk shows can talk until they are blue in the face. Reality remains the Panthers have zero relevance in the NFL and with the current owner, nothing will change. Welcome to Detroit Panther fans ... you are the "new Lions"